Situations can arise where it is desirable for a service provider to associate particular devices with a user or user's account. For example, a user may desire to access certain content, such as music, movies, and so forth, and the user requests or otherwise permits the service provider to associate one or more devices with him or her (or his or her) account. This association allows the user to access the content using those one or more devices, and also allows the service provider to allow use of the content only on devices that have been authorized.
Each device may have a device identifier that can be used by service providers to maintain this association, but the same device identifier is typically used by service providers communicating with multiple applications on the device. For example, service providers typically have access to the device identifier, and can leverage that device identifier to track information regarding usage of the device across multiple applications on the device. The tracked information can be used in various manners, such as by behavioral tracking software to provide advertisements for display on the device. This tracking, however, can be contrary to the user's privacy expectations and desires. Thus, it remains difficult for service providers to associate one or more of a user's devices with the user or user's account as requested or otherwise permitted by the user but without violating the user's privacy expectations and desires.